2 ttt FISHES IN GENERAL. 



Even after nations have attained to feme degree o^ 

 knowledge and civilization, many ages elapfe before they 

 pufli their inquiries far into the fubje£l of ichthj^ologj, 

 or acquire any confiderahle acquaintance with the inha- 

 bitants of the ocean. In the unfathomed depths of that 

 turbulent and extenfive element, probably millions re- 

 iide, of which the far greater part are fecluded from 

 human obfervation ; and, even of the fev/ which the in- 

 duftry of man has, at lall, drawn f:?om their hidden- 

 abode, we hardly know any thing, but the external fi- 

 gure, and the names. Their food, their longevity, their 

 method of propagating their kind, and the whole of their 

 manners and economy, rem.ain ftill among thofe num- 

 berlefs fecrets of Nature, which human ingenuity has 

 not hitherto been able to explore. Hence, the natural 

 hiftory of filhes has feldom been found interefliilg, be- 

 caufe it is deftitute of that information, which it is the 

 province of hirlory to convey. It is n:ore imperfect 

 and obfcure, than that of quadrupeds and birds, in pro- 

 portion as the element, in which fiflies refide, is more 

 extenfive and inacceffible, 



Before the Chrijliaji era, few writers had turned 

 their attention to this difficult branch of Natural Hi- 

 flory. Ari/iotle, Iheophrajius, Strabo, and 'Terefithis' 

 Vurro, had made their obfervations on fuch as were 

 then known ; but they had fcarcely any idea of treating 

 the fubje£l in a fcientilic manner. After that period, 

 Jlppiayi, Qz'id and Columella, defcribed tlie fiihes of the 

 S'Uxtne and Adriatic feas, as far as they had accefs to ex- 

 amine them. I'liny was the laft, and by far the mod 

 copious v>^riter upon this fubje£t, among the ancients. 

 He is, indeed, too difFufc ; while his credulity and love 

 of the marvellous, confiderably weaken the authority of 

 his narrative. An hundred and tw<;ntj-four fpecies,. 



were 



